U.S. patent number 3,842,843 [Application Number 05/318,583] was granted by the patent office on 1974-10-22 for biogalvanic power supply device and method.
Invention is credited to Daniel Burnel, Bernard Dodinot, Guy Fontenier, Regis Freschard, Michel Mourot.
United States Patent |
3,842,843 |
Mourot , et al. |
October 22, 1974 |
BIOGALVANIC POWER SUPPLY DEVICE AND METHOD
Abstract
A biogalvanic power supply device for an apparatus implanted in
a body comprising a cathode placed in the venous circulating stream
and an anode placed in subcutaneous tissue of the body. The cathode
comprises a platinum material coactable with biological substances
in the body when it is placed in the venous circulating system. The
anode comprises a material, such as magnesium, which is consumed
when implanted in subcutaneous tissue of the body. The anode is
placed in the subcutaneous tissue at a distance from the cathode
which is effective to preclude inhibiting the action of the cathode
as the anode is progressively consumed. An electrical connection is
provided between the anode and the cathode for flowing therethrough
a current flow.
Inventors: |
Mourot; Michel (Nancy,
FR), Dodinot; Bernard (Nancy, FR), Burnel;
Daniel (Nancy, FR), Freschard; Regis (Nancy,
FR), Fontenier; Guy (Nancy, FR) |
Family
ID: |
23238777 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/318,583 |
Filed: |
December 26, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
607/35; 429/406;
429/524 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A61N
1/02 (20130101); H01M 12/04 (20130101); A61N
1/378 (20130101); H01M 4/46 (20130101); Y02E
60/10 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
A61N
1/02 (20060101); A61N 1/372 (20060101); A61N
1/378 (20060101); H01M 4/46 (20060101); H01M
12/00 (20060101); H01M 12/04 (20060101); A61n
001/36 () |
Field of
Search: |
;128/419P,419B
;136/86D,12FC |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Other References
Satinsky, V. P. et al., Journ. Of Assoc. for Advancement of Med.
Instr., Vol. 5, No. 3, May-June, 1971, pp. 184-187. .
Annals of N.Y. Acad. of Sciences, Vol. 167, Oct. 30, 1969, pp.
645-660. .
Annals of N.Y. Acad. of Sciences, Vol. 167, Oct. 30, 1969, pp.
1016-1024. .
U.S.C.I.-4F and 7F Bipolar Pacing Electrodes Catalogue, Sept. 1972,
pp. 1-6..
|
Primary Examiner: Howell; Kyle L.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Burns; Robert E. Lobato; Emmanuel
J. Adams; Bruce L.
Claims
We claim:
1. A power supply for use implanted in use in a body for providing
power to an apparatus comprising, a biogalvanic cell implantable in
a body and comprising a cathode means implantable endocardially in
said body and an anode means implantable in subcutaneous tissue of
said body at a distance from said cathode means, said cathode means
comprising platinum and having a smooth surface coacting
electrochemically in use with biological substances in the body and
said anode means comprising a material consumed by galvanic action
when implanted in said subcutaneous tissue of said body and means
electrically connecting said anode means and said cathode means for
flowing a current flow therethrough in dependence upon an electric
potential between said anode means and said cathode means, said
distance between said anode means and said cathode means being a
distance effective to preclude inhibiting the action of said
cathode means as said anode means is progressively consumed.
2. A power supply device according to claim 1, wherein said anode
material comprises magnesium.
3. A power supply device according to claim 2, wherein said anode
material consists of a magnesium-based alloy.
4. A power supply device according to claim 3: wherein said
magnesium-based alloy anode consists of a magnesium-aluminum alloy
comprising 7.5-9.2 percent by weight of aluminum.
5. A power supply device according to claim 3: wherein said
magnesium-based alloy anode consists of magnesium-zirconium alloy
comprising 5 percent by weight of zirconium.
6. A power supply device according to claim 3: wherein said
magnesium-based alloy anode consists of
magnesium-aluminum-mangese-zinc alloy comprising 7.5-9.2 percent by
weight of aluminum, 0.2-0.8 percent by weight of zinc and 0.12-0.3
percent by weight of manganese.
7. A power supply device according to claim 1, wherein said cathode
material consists of iridium platinum.
8. A power supply device for an apparatus for use implanted in a
human body comprising, a biogalvanic cell implantable in a body
comprising a platinum cathode means having a smooth surface and
implantable endocardially in said body and an anode means
implantable in subcutaneous tissue of said body, at a distance in
the order of at least 15 centimeters from said cathode means, said
cathode means comprising a material coacting electrochemically in
use with biological substances in the body, and said anode means
comprising a material consumed by galvanic action when implanted in
said subcutaneous tissue of said body and means electrically
connecting the anode means and cathode means for flowing a current
flow therethrough in dependence upon an electric potential between
said anode means and cathode means.
9. A power supply device according to claim 8: wherein said cathode
material consists of iridium platinum.
10. A power supply device according to claim 8: wherein said anode
material consists of magnesium.
11. In combination: a cardiac pacer implantable in a living human
body for regulating the heart beat, said cardiac pacer comprising a
stimulator means implantable in the right ventricle of the heart,
an impulse generator means implantable in the subcutaneous tissue
of the body, a tube connecting said impulse generator means and
said stimulator means, and conducting means disposed in said tube
for conducting electrical impulses generated by said impulse
generator means to said stimulator means; and a biogalvanic cell
implantable in said body, connected to and supplying electric
energy to said cardiac pacer, said biogalvanic cell comprising a
cathode means having a smooth surface and implantable endocardially
and an anode means implantable in subcutaneous tissue of said body
at a distance in the order of 15 centimeters from said cathode
means, said cathode means comprising platinum coacting
electrochemically in use with biological substances in the body,
and said anode means comprising material consumed by galvanic
action when implanted in said subcutaneous tissue of said body and
means electrically connecting said anode means and said cathode
means for flowing a current flow therethrough in dependence upon an
electric potential between said anode means and said cathode
means.
12. A combination according to claim 11: wherein said anode
material comprises magnesium.
13. A combination according to claim 12: wherein said anode
material consists of a magnesium-based alloy.
14. A combination according to claim 13: wherein said
magnesium-based alloy anode consists of a magnesium-aluminum alloy
comprising 7.5 percent to 9.2 percent by weight of aluminum.
15. A combination according to claim 13: wherein said
magnesium-based alloy anode consists of a magnesium-zirconium alloy
comprising 5 percent by weight of zirconium.
16. A combination according to claim 13: wherein said
magnesium-based alloy anode consists of a
magnesium-aluminum-manganese-zinc alloy comprising 7.5-9.2 percent
by weight of aluminum, 0.2-0.8 percent by weight of zinc and
0.12-0.3 percent by weight of manganese.
17. A combination according to claim 12: wherein said anode
material consists of magnesium.
18. A combination according to claim 11: wherein said cathode
material consists of iridium platinum.
19. A combination according to claim 11: wherein said anode
comprises a disc connected to said impulse generator.
20. A combination according to claim 11: wherein said cathode
comprises a tube disposed circumferentially of said tube connecting
said impulse generator and said stimulation and disposed in contact
therewith.
21. A combination according to claim 20: wherein said cathode is
disposed in a position along said tube connecting said impulse
generator and said stimulator such that said cathode may be
disposed in the return venous circulatory stream when said
stimulator is disposed in the right ventricle of the heart.
22. A method for supplying power to an apparatus comprising,
positioning a platinum cathode having a smooth surface in the
venous circulatory stream of a body, positioning an anode
comprising a material consumable by galvanic action when implanted
in subcutaneous tissue of the body at a distance in the order of at
least 15 centimeters from said cathode, electrically connecting
said anode and said cathode for flowing a current flow therethrough
in dependence upon an electric potential between said anode and
said cathode, and electrically connecting said anode and said
cathode to an apparatus.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to electrical energy supply devices
for cardiac pacer or the like and more particularly to biogalvanic
energy supply devices.
DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART
Cardiac pacers are electrical devices implanted in the body of a
patient for stimulating and regulating the heart beat of the
patient. The pacer generally comprises a stimulation electrode
implanted in the right ventricle of the heart of the patient and an
impulse generator implanted in another part of the body for
generating electrical impulses to the stimulation electrode. An
electrical energy supply must be provided for supplying electrical
power to the impulse generator. These electrical supply devices
have a short life span and must be replaced frequently. Also,
because of the difficulty of replacing only the electrical supply
device, the pacer must be replaced when the electrical supply
device is replaced.
Cardiac pacers powered by mercury cells are well known. The mercury
cell, and therefore its pacer, has a useable lifespan of from six
to eight months and must be replaced during this time period.
Surgery is required for removing and replacing the pacer and the
mercury cell and the surgery must be preformed in a hospital, is
expensive and occasions the risk of infection.
Recently, pacers have been powered by thermoelectric conversion of
the heat liberated by a radioisotopic source. These pacers have a
much longer life, of the order of ten years, but present a
radiation hazard and are only moderately reliable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
energy supply device for a cardiac pacer having a long life
span.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical
energy supply device for cardiac pacers which is inexpensive and
highly reliable.
The present invention is directed to a biogalvanic electrical
supply device for pacers. The biogalvanic electrical supply device
has a longer life span than the mercury cell and is less expensive
and more reliable than the radioisotopic supply device.
The biogalvanic energy supply device according to the present
invention comprises a biogalvanic cell having a platinum cathode
and a magnesuim-based alloy anode, each implanted in the body of
the patient. The cathode is placed in the returning venous
circulatory stream of the heart and the anode is placed in the
subcutaneous tissue. A galvanic action occurs with the anode being
consumed while the cathode coacts with the biological substances in
body to generate an electric potential between the anode and the
cathode. An electrical connection is provided between the anode and
cathode for flowing a current flow therebetween. Conductors are
provided for conducting electric current from the cell electrodes
to the pacers. The oxygen in the blood is consumed at the cathode,
while the anode dissolves in accordance with Faraday's Law. When
the anode is completely dissolved the cell must be replaced.
Therefore, the life of the biogalvanic cell is limited only by the
loss of mass of the anode.
Compared to the sources of energy presently used to supply pacers,
the device according to the invention offers various advantages. It
has a longer life span than the mercury cell and therefore need not
be replaced as often. Moreover, the mercury cell has a larger
volume and a heavier weight than the biogalvanic cell of the
present invention.
As compared to the radioisotopic supply device, the biogalvanic
cell is less expensive and more reliable. Also, the danger from
radiation which is inherent in the radioisotopic supply device is
not present in the biogalvanic cell.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
Other objects and advantages of the biogalvanic supply device in
accordance with the invention will appear from the following
description of an example of the invention and the novel features
will be particularly pointed out in the specification, the pending
claims and the drawings in which
FIG. 1 is a schematic representation illustrating a pacer and a
biogalvanic supply device implanted in the body of a patient;
and
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the pacer and the biogalvanic
supply device.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
As shown in FIG. 1, a pacer 1 is implanted in any part of a
patient's body. The pacer 1, containing regulating and impulse
generating circuits (not shown), is connected by a tube 2 to a
stimulating electrode 3 implanted at the apex of the right
ventricle RV of the heart. The tube 2 is made of a flexible plastic
material and is provided therein with an electrical wire 5 for
conducting electrical impulses from the pacemaker 1 to the
stimulating electrode 3.
The biogalvanic electrical supply device consists of a biogalvanic
cell comprising anode 6 and cathode 7. It is known that two
dissimilar electrodes immersed in an electrolytic solution, provide
an electric potential difference at their terminals.
The cathode 7 is a tubular member having, for example, a length of
40 mm., an internal diameter of 4.8 mm., and an external diameter
of 5 mm., and may be made of an suitable catalytic depolorizer
material. Particularly suitable are platinum iridiumplatinum alloy
or iridized platinum, but depolorizing cathodes such as are used in
fuel cells will also serve. The tubular cathode is threaded onto a
portion of the tube 2 such that it is located in the returning
venous circulatory stream when the electrode 3 is inserted into the
right ventricle of the heart of a patient. This location is chosen
because of the constant value of the blood parameters (ph, PO2). As
shown in FIG. 1, the preferred location for the cathode 7 is the
right auricle (RA) of the heart 4, where the flow of blood passing
the cathode will be greatest.
Anode 6 of the biogalvanic cell is made of pure magnesium or a
magnesium-based alloy, for example, a magnesium-zirconium alloy
having up to 5 percent zirconium by weight, magnesium-manganese
alloy having up to 1.5 percent maganese by weight, or a
magnesium-aluminium-manganese-zinc alloy having by weight 7.5-9.2
percent aluminum, 0.2-0.8 percent zinc, and 0.12-0.3 percent
manganese. The anode can be positioned in any part of the body.
However, the preferred site is the deep subcutaneous tissue in
proximity to the heart. Cathode 7 should be positioned about 15 cm.
from the anode.
While the subcutaneous tissue can tolerate an appreciable mass of a
foreign substance, it is desireable to reduce the dimensions of the
biogalvanic cell. The desired service life of the cell must also be
considered. In one embodiment of the invention, anode 6 is made of
a magnesium-manganese alloy in the shape of a disc having a
diameter of 30 mm. and a thickness of 5 mm.
By constructing the biogalvanic cell with the galvanic electrodes 6
and 7 as described above an electromotive force in the order of 0.5
volts to 1.2 volts for a current discharge of 200 to 400
microamperes is obtained. By using voltage amplifier circuits the
operating voltage of the pacer can be increased to about 5 volts.
The cathode 7 is connected to the amplifier 8 by an electric wire
disposed within the tube 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the amplifier 8 has
two leads connected respectively to the anode 6 and cathode 7. A
potential difference between 0.5 and 1.2 volts is obtained between
the two leads. The amplifier 8 supplies at its output a voltage of
about 5 volts to the pacer 1. The pacemaker then produces
electrical impulses transmitted by wire 5 to the stimulation
electrode 3.
The particular vital requirements which must be satisfied by the
device in accordance with the invention are the following:
1. the galvanic electrode materials must not be toxic to the
organism; platinum for the cathode and a magnesium-based alloy for
the anode as used herein exhibit no toxicity to the organism;
2. the device must be tolerated locally, i.e., tolerance to the
isolated metal (spontaneous corrosion in the human body) and
tolerance to the biogalvanic phenomenon;
3. the volume and weight of the device must be chosen so as not to
restrict the normal function of the heart.
Although the electrical supply device, in the foregoing
description, has been particularly conceived as being associated
with a cardiac pacer, it is evident that it could likewise supply
energy to any other device implanted in the human body. For
example, the device according to the present invention can also be
used for micro-transmitters used for measuring tension and pressure
and also for pacers for sphincters.
* * * * *